Things Can Always Be Worse
by GrinGrin
Summary: It was a sad fact of life that things can always be worse. Tsukune Aono was about to rediscover that little law of the universe.
1. See New Places

_AN: Before you feel like I nerfed Alex or made some characters *coughbusdrivercough* over-powered, head over to the forum:_

www!fanfiction!net/forum/Things-Can-Always-Be-Worse/145666/

_I've explained some of my reasoning there, and it's a lot easier to debate there than it is with reviews and PM's._

_I do not own either Prototype or Rosario + Vampire._

**Things Can Always Be Worse**

**See New Places**

Of all the places he could hide, Japan was probably the easiest to disappear in.

Crapload of people? Check. Opportunities for work, if he should ever need it? Check. New culture to absorb? Check. All you can eat buffet? Check, check, check.

It was beautiful.

Blackwatch was probably going to be chasing him for a couple of decades, so he decided to start fresh. Well, not _completely_ fresh. But as a teenager? Ideal. Enough time to actually create a semi-legitimate life, spend a few years relaxing and still keep his people skills sharp for when Blackwatch lost interest.

If only his school application had actually gone as planned. He had originally applied to a pretty standard school in Tokyo. Densely populated area, relatively stable, lots of exit points? Oh yes, New York could burn to the ground, for all he cared.

… It kinda did already, but that wasn't the point.

The point was that his application got bounced back. And the next. And the next. And the next. It was incredibly frustrating. He changed identities, even genders occasionally, but he would still be rejected.

Until he suddenly got an acceptance letter to a place called Youkai Acedemy. Which he never did apply to. But hell, if anyone could get out of a trap, he could.

Besides he was curious as to who had enough power to shuffle all that paperwork.

And curiosity was one of the things which he had never lost.

So he found himself on what was perhaps the most ordinary bus this side of the equator. Except that the bus was empty. Or nearly so. After the crowds he had experienced in New York and Tokyo, a single passenger other than himself and a bus driver didn't actually register as anything significant.

Which was why he was moving (well, _stalking_, if you wanted to get technical) closer to the driver. Eating the student would be incredibly easy once he was terrified out of his freaking mind. Besides, the driver get glancing in the mirror and smirking at him.

He hated smirking people.

So, after a rather empathic _shhhhhhhh_ to the boy, he had started moving forward. He was just behind the partition when he saw they were about to enter a tunnel. _Perfect._

When the bus was suddenly enveloped in darkness, he blurred forward and dug his tentacles into the driver. Or, at least, that is what should have happened.

Instead, the driver had caught all seven of them in one hand and used them to wrench him into the seat next to him. Alex was quite sure that the seat hadn't even _been there_ before the tunnel, but he had bigger worries at the moment.

Like why he couldn't move and why this guy suddenly terrified him. Which was all kinds of wrong. He _was_ motion. Running, jumping, fighting, breathing, _living_. He was never quite still. Dana would always tell him he was twitching underneath his skin when his visits were too long. But now…

Now he couldn't move and he was quite sure if he had a bladder, he'd have pissed himself by now. This was _not_ the way things went when Alex Mercer was involved.

"Please. Take a seat. Oh, nevermind. You already did. Not like you had a choice, right?"

And the bastard wasn't even looking at him.

"I'm going to explain a couple of things to you, okay Alex-san? I can call you Alex-san, yes? Of course I can."

Hell, he wasn't about to argue.

"We know all about you Alex-san. We know about Blacklight. We know about New York. We even know that you're not Alex-san at all. We also know how to end you, if we need to."

Alex had to fight the very human urge to gulp. That wasn't things everyone knew. Hell, he wondered if all the members of Blackwatch command knew. And _ending_ him? What the hell did that mean?

"But someone higher up on the food chain decided you are needed here, so that's not going to happen. As long as you follow the rules."

Alex didn't know whether to be relieved or pissed off. He was being treated like a pet, for fuck's sake.

"Rule number one - no eating the student behind me. He is the only human, but he is to be the thrall of the new vampire."

Vampire? Thrall? What the hell had he gotten into?

"Rule number two – No attacking any of the staff-members. At least, not without a justifiable reason. 'Because I was hungry or angry or bored' does not count as an excuse, Alex-san. Please remember that."

Now that was just confusing. He could kill staff-members of whatever, if he could justify it? Where the hell was he going? Staff-members of what? A school? What kind of school had things like vampires or things like him for that matter?

"Rule three – You have free range of the school-grounds. You may travel anywhere, except where a staff-member has explicitly forbidden students. Those are the three rules. Any questions, Alex-san?"

And suddenly he could talk again. What the fuck was going on here? Some new kind of gas that made his biomass unresponsive?

"… um, yeah. Where the fuck are you taking me?"

"Language, Alex-san."

Why did he suddenly feel so threatened?

"But I'm taking you to Youkai Academy, just like you first thought."

"Okay? So it's a school right? For what exactly? You mentioned vampires before, and apparently I have rights to travel everywhere? That can't be normal in Japan."

"No, it is not, Alex-san. Youkai Academy is a school for various monsters. Creatures like vampires and werewolves, yes. But also creatures like sphinxes, futakuchi-onna, trolls and the like. To say anything further would spoil the surprise."

… That was… kind of terrifying, actually. Monsters were real? Damn.

"So where do I fit in?"

The man's eyes finally glanced at him. Alex so _dearly_ wanted to gouge them out, but that would probably amount to suicide.

"Just another student, I'm afraid. Can't be playing favourites, Alex-san. Oh, yes. I almost forgot. There is a fourth rule-"

"Of course there is."

_Okay,_ not interrupting him again. That glare literally made his skin crawl. Better be nice and polite.

"Please don't interrupt, Alex-san. As I was saying, the fourth rule is that you must follow the school rules. I will admit, you are liable to be given a bit of leeway regarding the rules, but that doesn't mean you're exempt from them."

"Quick question though, bit off topic? How long is this tunnel?"

"As long as it needs to be."

Of course. Cryptic answers were the norm in these situations, weren't they? All he needed was a bald little master or a pointy eared green alien.

Fuck. What if aliens were also real?

"You and your… benefactor, I guess, do know that I need to eat regularly, right?"

"Of course, Alex-san. Arrangements have already been made. You are not the first student who has to feed on humans. You are certainly not the first to have a specific diet."

… well… that was just about that. He had a lot more questions, but the tone of annoyance he heard in the driver's voice certainly wasn't imagined anymore. Best not to take unnecessary chances.

"Ah. I believe we are nearing your new home, Alex-san. Please wake the other student. He seems to have fallen asleep."

Damnit. He just _had_ to choose Japan as his hideout.

Ideal country, my ass.

* * *

Tsukune didn't remember falling asleep. But he obviously had, otherwise he wouldn't have been shaken awake by what was probably the world's unfriendliest man. Were his eyes _glowing_?

"Come on, kid. Grab your stuff. We gotta go."

Well, that was real polite.

But still, Tsukune did what the scary teen asked(?) and grabbed his bags. He was still struggling to get the biggest one out of the overhead compartment, when he heard the other guy sigh. He was then shoved firmly towards the door. When he finally stopped stumbling, he saw the hooded teen heft the bag as if it weighed nothing.

But you didn't look a gift horse in the mouth. So he lugged his suitcase over to the door and stepped off. He glanced back and most empathetically did _not_ see the bus-driver giving his companion a wink with his glowing eyes.

People didn't have glowing eyes, so it was probably his mind playing tricks on him.

Then he actually looked around.

"WHERE ARE WE?!"

* * *

…. That was actually a good question. He didn't know of any place where the water was red. Not even in Japan.

But then again, he was just accosted by a _thing_ that intimated him. Him. He had eaten a fraction of New York, dammit. He wasn't something that was scared. Ever.

He glanced back at the bus, but it was already going back through the tunnel. Alex was pretty sure that the bus didn't turn around, so why was he looking at its rear as it drove away?

Fuck it. Wasn't the weirdest thing that had happened today.

Even if countless memories in his head were screaming that a shadowed tunnel did _not_ look like that.

Even after all his musing, the kid was still freaking out. It was strange sure, but there were worse things in life.

He finally clicked that he wasn't in New York anymore, so he couldn't expect a random passerby to realize that hunters or hives or just plain infected were a sight much worse than a little coloured water.

So he did the only thing he could do.

He flicked him in the forehead.

"Simmer down. Look, the place does look weird, I'll give you that, but I can literally _see _the school from here, so why don't we get a move on?"

He looked at the kid again. He was staring at the strangely smooth entrance to the tunnel. Alex shivered. He _really_ didn't want to go through there again. And he wasn't the only one, judging by the shiver he could see running down the boys spine.

"Come on. Lets walk and talk. I'm Alex Mercer by the way."

And with those words, he set off in the direction of the school at a rather leisurely pace.

* * *

Even after Mercer-san had taken his other bag, Tsukune still had to strain to keep up.

He blamed the boy's longer legs. Mercer-san really scared him. He didn't actually know why. He hadn't done anything threatening. In fact, he barely did anything at all. He just walked and answered questions in a rather blunt manner. He wasn't rude, per say, but he still wasn't polite.

So why was he so scared of the other boy?

… It was probably the hood. He didn't know why he wore that hoodie, when the application form said that the uniform was required in most cases. Maybe he even was one of those special cases. But he really wished Mercer-san could have found something that was just a bit less intimidating.

He actually walked into Mercer-san when he unexpectedly stopped.

Tsukune could have sworn his hoodie writhed when he touched it, but that had to be his imagination… right?

* * *

There was something coming this way. Moka had staked out (oh, the irony) the small graveyard that was on the main path to the Academy. Her thrall-to-be was supposed to come this way. It was still early, but she was already a bit anxious.

She hadn't been able to give any input in the selection process. Each time, she was met with a bemused "It has been taken care of.". It frustrated her to no end.

But what's done is done, so she just had to hunker down and accept whoever they chose. Besides, if she really hated her (or him. Even though first thralls were traditionally female), she could just drain her dry just before the year ended. Then she could request a new one. Maybe she'd even get a say this time around!

The footsteps grew louder. Finally, after an hour's wait, she could see her thrall for the first time.

He was tall, that was what she noticed first. He had a lean build, more suited for speed than brute power, but he carried what looked like two bulky suitcases without trouble. That meant he was strong and probably also fast. He moved silently, his footsteps not making a sound. And, from what she could make out of his face, he was a foreigner. Then she saw his eyes. They were glowing slightly and that instantly made her spirits sink. He couldn't be her thrall. No human's eyes glowed like that.

But she had heard footsteps? Which meant there was someone else following him.

Her heart jumped into her throat. Would her thrall (if that was the other pair of footsteps) be similar? Moka bit her lip as she waited in delightfully cruel anticipation.

And she was promptly disappointed. Oh, he was acceptable (much better than she expected, to be honest), but the other person had raised her standards a bit too high.

He was, as previously noted, a 'he'. Which really was quite unusual. But that didn't matter. She was quite prepared to have the first stranger as her thrall, so she really wasn't that bothered by his sex.

He was quite a bit shorter than the foreigner, more in line with her own length. He was also lean, but he didn't possess any of the implied bulk of the other. But, he was at least handsome. Physical attributes like strength and speed could always be increased, but looks were permanent.

It was the sign of a rather powerful vampire to have a beautiful or handsome thrall.

But she'd make due. She had eternity at her disposal after all. Her first didn't have to be her last as well.

* * *

Things had just got interesting. A pink haired girl had suddenly lunged at them from where she was sitting on a gravestone, of all things. The following avalanche of words were finally compressed to a few facts.

Her name was Moka.

She wanted to be their friend.

She was a (the) vampire.

She was _hungry_.

So, in an attempt to thwart any possible future attacks or bites or meals or whatever, he had graciously, if a tad mockingly, lowered his hood and offered her his throat. He could see she was mulling it over. Hell, he could even give a guess as to what she was thinking.

It was probably something to do with the fact that the kid (Tsukune) was her designated thrall. But she wasn't about to turn down a free meal.

Alex grinned. It was not a nice expression.

* * *

Moka gagged. What the hell was this man?

That wasn't blood. It was some kind of goo that squirmed in her mouth. She had swallowed a mouthful before that fact registered _and it had crawled out of her throat_.

That wasn't normal, not even for youkai.

And the thing was grinning at her, as if it were funny.

It wasn't. It really wasn't.

You didn't mess with a vampire's food.

* * *

Tsukune was understandably, in his humble opinion, freaked out.

The _really_ pretty girl had suddenly grown fangs and lunged for Mercer-san's neck.

Which probably meant she was a vampire, and not crazy or playing a prank.

The fact that something came _back out_ of her mouth as she recoiled after her first gulp was still a mystery, though. But he didn't think he wanted to know.

But then the girl had turned to him, said something about washing the bad taste out of her mouth and jumped at _him_. He barely had time to react before her body was against his, her breath on his neck and her teeth on his skin.

It didn't hurt. At all. Which was surprising. It actually felt kind of good. More than a little bit. All in all, he would probably have enjoyed the sensation of the bite and an exquisite girl moaning softly and writhing on his body a lot more if Mercer-san would just stop smiling like that in the background.

It was just _wrong_.

* * *

Oh boy. He was going to half _all _sorts of fun with these two.

* * *

AN: I love Prototype. I absolutely adore body-horror shapeshifting. So much potential.

And I recently starting watching Rosario+Vampire.

So naturally, I combined the two.

It must be said, however, that I'm not following canon in either case.

Alex, in this world, ended up renouncing Dana after he found out about his true nature. Blackwatch is also way more powerful than in canon, but they were too preoccupied with the Redlight-outbreak to concentrate on Alex. Which is the only reason he's still alive (in a manner of speaking).

Furthermore, Alex isn't 'form-locked' like in canon. I refer, of course, to the rather meagre selection of weapons for a creature that can basically shapeshift at will. Expect new weapons, more tentacles, more body horror, a _lot_ more difficulty in harming Alex and a fair bit more mind-fucking (metaphorically, of course).

Also-Prototype 2 does not exist. Except, perhaps, some powers.

Rosario, on the other hand, is set in a more cynical world. Humans are generally considered an exploitable resource at best. Survival of the fittest is also actively practiced in this world. Weaker students are occasionally maimed or killed, as they 'pose a risk to mess up and expose us to the human world'. The Bus-Driver is one scary _mother_.

I'm also reworking some of the monster's abilities and characteristics. For example, Vampires feed mainly on thralls (Humans enhanced by vampire-blood, who are also completely subservient to their 'sire') and they are only hurt by naturally running water (I hate the water angle in canon. One of the strongest monsters can be defeated by the timely intervention of a water-balloon? HAHAHAHAno.).

I may also play around with character personalities, as evidenced by Moka. She's a lot more vicious in regards to humans and less naïve. I may change the naivety-part though. Also, Inner!Moka and Outer!Moka are a fair bit closer than in canon.

Alex is essentially in a slightly smaller 'default' body. Try to imagine a less bulky, but still tall Alex. With his hoodie. Cause it is awesome.

Also, fair warning. Tsukune does not get the girl(s). If he's lucky, he might get more than the average amount of respect or love a thrall gets. He might even get Yukari's attention. In that case, it will _be totally platonic or non physical._

I have… _plans_ for Kurumu and Mizore (she's my favourite girl in the series, for the record).

Also, as this is both horror and humor, silly events may happen. Conversely horrible things might also happen. Or I could mix the two. Should be interesting.

How Bus-Driver's superiors know about Alex will be revealed in the course of the story.

Anyway, this will most likely be updated sporadically. As in, weeks long gaps between updates are a very real possibility. In fact, I'm almost completely sure this is the longest chapter I have written for .

Read, enjoy, give me some feedback and enjoy once more.

~GrinGrin

PS – Go look at Wikipedia's entry for Futakuchi-onna. It's a delightfully disturbing creature.

Written: 13/12/2013

Posted: 13/12/2013


	2. Meet New People

_AN: Crap. Posted before fixing the line breaks. Should be better now._

_I do not own either Prototype or Rosario + Vampire._

**Things Can Always Get Worse**

**Meet New People**

He was still grinning, damnit.

Moka didn't like that. He _knew_ she was a vampire, and he still did something like that? He either knew nothing of the hierarchy of monsters or he was completely careless. From what she had seen so far… could go both ways actually.

Anyway, they were making their way to the large group of students that had gathered in front of what was assumed to be the main entrance. There were a surprisingly large number of students there, well over a hundred if Moka were to estimate. Or maybe not so surprising at all, as she couldn't actually sense anyone who was really strong. Were they all so weak?

For that matter, why couldn't she feel Alex? She should have felt _something_, he was just behind her. It was her little way of telling him to go fuck himself, she wasn't scared of him. She wondered if he didn't know what it meant to turn your back on a monster or if he didn't care.

He was strange. He hadn't reacted as she thought he should, not at all like the suddenly shifting crowd before them.

* * *

Saizou Komiya was intrigued. These newcomers didn't look like push-overs, not like most of these clowns who were already here.

Oh, wait. Scratch that. He'd missed the small one the first time. How was he still walking while shivering like that?

Meh. Didn't matter. What mattered was trying to ally himself with the other two. They moved like they had a purpose. It was a small thing, but one many people lacked. It was also a sign, at least in his book, that they were more powerful than most of these wasters.

So he had walked closer, hands obviously at his sides. No reason to let them think he was hostile. Hell. She was a _beauty._ Really. He'd seen some beautiful girls in his time, but this one made them all look like hags.

But the other guy… he was something else. That was _waaaay_ to fluid to be human. An illusion? No. Wouldn't work against everyone and only a fool would risk that. This guy didn't move like a fool.

Something that looked human but wasn't, obviously… Changeling? Incubus? Eyes glowing… Leshy? No. Too tall. Fuck. What was left? Vampire? Werewolf? Yasha? Wendigo? Yee-naaldlooshii? All of those were some nasty enemies.

Either strike fast, betray or ally for real.

* * *

If Alex had known exactly what the big guy was, and what they were famous for, he would only be marginally be less surprised when he suddenly took a swing at him with a suddenly clawed hand.

Fuck it all. Time to put the fear of Manhattan in these punks.

* * *

Tsukune was quite sure he just wet himself.

First, this huge guys starts walking towards them.

Just before he actually got close enough for a civil conversation, he had _blurred_ forward and his hand wasn't a hand anymore, it was a claw and it was headed straight for Mercers-san and he wasn't moving away and he couldn't look away and it punched through his clothes and his skin and he could hear a squishing noise and he vomited all over his own shoes.

* * *

Moka was quite glad she had moved away from the human.

But this was interesting.

The orc's hand was lodged wrist-deep in Mercer's stomach. Not quite that unusual, orcs were strong if not fast. What was unusual was that Mercer was still grinning.

If anything, he was showing even more teeth.

* * *

And now the idiot is stuck.

_… Make it slow. Scare the others._

So he split his torso open and formed his bio-mass into sickles that vaguely looked like ribs and plunged them through the jack-ass's arm. Said jackass had made the mistake so many of the hunters had made. You didn't stick something in Blacklight you weren't prepared to lose.

_He even looks like a hunter if you squint._

So, snack time. One hand on his throat to keep him away, one blurring into a blade and a third gripping just above the elbow. Slice. Disguise. Reel in. Shred. Start to digest.

Instant-meal.

* * *

Saizou had made a mistake. And not a small one.

He'd thought he could eliminate one of the few threats he could see early and use his demise to increase his standing.

Instead, the thing's ribcage had burst open like some demented mouth and taken his arm as a chew toy. And the disgusting thing wasn't that he just lost an arm. He was an orc, they grew back.

The thing sucked his arm into his chest and all those pointy bits closed up, as neat-as-you-please. Even his hoodie was back, unblemished. He then crossed his arms over his chest _and wait just a fuckin' minute._

He still felt a hand around his neck. What in the h…

Oh god. That's just wrong. The 'hand' was actually connected to the guys tongue. What had he just pissed off?

"You gonna be good from now on?"

He had no idea how he was still speaking with an arm growing from his mouth, but that really wasn't a problem right now. He tried to speak or nod, but the grip was too strong. Instead, he lifted his other arm and made a circle with his index finger and thumb.

_Okay._

_I give. You're stronger. Let me go._

_Please?_

That seemed to satisfy him. He finally drew in an explosive breath and drew his arm up for a closer look. Hell. Did he have a katana for an arm or what? That was the neatest slice Saizou had seen outside a butcher shop. At least it worked in his favour.

As he started licking his wound, he moved backwards into the woods nearby.

His eyes never left the guy with the hoodie.

* * *

_Wow._

Mercer wasn't just all show, apparently.

Someone gutted him, and his wound took a bite out of his attacker.

Nasty.

Moka still hadn't seen enough to even guess what he was, but first instinct pointed to something really nasty. As in, threat level S. Couple that with cannibalizing an _orc_? Not a lot of things that could stomach orc flesh. And that _had_ been shapeshifting. She was sure of it.

She had to stop herself from jumping to conclusions. Conclusions weren't always right and it could lead to fatal complacency. Better to wait a bit.

Mercer's third(!) arm had withdrawn into his mouth.

"Okay, boys and girls. Quick warning, just cuzz' I'm in a good mood today. That wasn't enough an appetizer. The next one of you who does something stupid is gonna be the main course for Mr. Mercer. You got that?"

Moka smirked. _Well played_. Use their fear.

Mercer certainly was interesting.

* * *

Tsukune couldn't believe what just happened. He thought a vampire was bad? He'd be Moka's willing beverage can, if it meant someone kept stuff like that away from him.

He blanched. What if vampires were low on the totem pole here? What was true in fiction didn't necessarily mean it was true in real life.

He blinked.

Never mind.

Still he had to ask Moka as soon as he could. He winced. Maybe after a breath mint…

Tsukune twitched as he heard a sudden sound. And again. And again.

Who could be clapping at a time like this?

* * *

"Mercer. I've been looking for you. If you'd come with me."

He waited, face carefully impassive. She gritted her teeth, he smirked.

"Please."

"Remember today, kids. Be nice to strangers and always be polite. It helps."

He walked through the crowd. He was actually surprised to see how little they backed away. He wasn't crowded, but he still expected more space. Maybe these ones actually had some backbone.

He carefully made his way to the girl who had called out to him. _Huh. Wonder what the jacket means_. He smirked again. "Shall we?"

She nodded, impassive once more. Her violet eyes looked calmly ahead. He was quick to note that, while she didn't even glance at him, her whole body was still slightly tensed.

After a minute of silently walking, he got bored with the façade. Quick twitch of biomass and the half-digested arm burst from his side and bumped into her. "Sorry. It's still twitchy." She didn't even flinch.

He smirked at her. She gave a little sneer right back.

They walked the rest of the way in companionable silence.

* * *

Keito actually found herself _liking_ this new student.

That little display back there was brutal, shocking, vicious and merciless. _He's gonna go far._

And he wasn't a chatterbox or a poser. The arm-thing had been a surprise, but she'd seen worse and she let him know. Instead of trying to intimidate her, he just looked forward again as if nothing had happened.

Now, if only she knew what the headmaster wanted with the both of them.

* * *

Moka had her hands full.

Tsukune was panicking .

The crowd was getting restless, sizing her up.

The smell of blood was getting her hungry.

She was quite sure at least some of the monsters had noticed Tsukune was human.

How to solve everything in the least amount of time?

Moka smirked and pulled Tsukune closer. Whispered in his ear, bent her head and drank her fill.

Tsukune was calm.

The crowd was suddenly quiet and watchful.

She was full.

She had staked her claim on him.

It was good to be Moka Akashiya.

* * *

Keito closed the door behind her and blinked.

_The old man had mind-fucked her again!_

She wouldn't be able to remember what had happened in there that he didn't want her to know. It was one of the few true cons of being on the PSC. Your mind was a playground for the headmaster.

She blinked. Her eyes grew wide and she turned to Mercer. "I'm your warrant officer. What the hell does that even mean?"

She couldn't even know if she had argued against it. She probably did. Still, there was nothing quite as unpleasant as knowing your mind had been violated.

"I get in trouble, I go to you. I have questions, I go to you. I get hungry, I don't go to you."

She narrowed her eyes.

"You are not eating me today, Mercer."

"Oh? Not today? Do you have plans for me, Keito-chan?"

She blushed lightly. That was just all types of wrong. She eyed him. He was enjoying this. Two could play this game.

She leaned forward, making sure he got a good eyeful and ran her hand up his side, over his neck and to his cheek. She leaned forward and breathed in his ear.

"Play your cards right… then maybe."

She was surprised when he barked out a laugh. Of all possible reactions, she had not quite expected that one.

"I'm asexual, my dear. I can appreciate, but I don't participate, if you get my drift?"

Okay, that was just bullshit.

* * *

Alex smirked. He had found a new plaything.

Inwardly, he winced. _Bad choice of words_.

He really was asexual, more so than she would ever suspect. He was a walking mass of viral matter, for fucks sake.

He finally made his way over to his new classroom. He could hear the teacher telling the students about the rules of the school. _Not quite the same as my version, I'll bet._

He knocked and entered at the same time. Personally, he felt she should be glad he kno- was that a tail? A cat tail? He glanced at the board. Miss Shizuka Nekonome. Of course.

"Headmaster's."

A look of comprehension overrode her confusion, before she gestured for him to take a seat. Lucky him. There was an open seat in the row nearest the windows. And Moka and Tsukune had the last two seats? He grinned. It wasn't a nice expression, and some of the students who saw that sat just a little bit straighter.

Alex whistled a few lines of a cheerful song as he took the chair from the open desk in one hand, picked up Tsukune's chair (with him still in it), put it where he got the chair and did the same to Moka, only to where Tsukune had sat. Back row, next to the window. Nothing behind him, easy escape route. Perfect.

He carefully kept the tune for another couple of seconds. He could see Tsukune relax as he sat down, and he could see the tension in Moka's jawline as she clenched her teeth. Interesting. He glanced up and saw that the majority of the class was looking at him with slightly awe-struck expressions.

What the hell. He just picked someone up. He'd bitten a guy's arm off with his ribs not an hour ago, and _now_ they looked impressed? Fuck it all.

Even the teacher was trying (and failing) to hide a little smirk. Whatever. Time to take stock.

So… 25 students. He knew three of them, as he saw that morning's 'problem' clear on the other side of the room. And the girl with blue hair (blue hair!) was staring at him. He lay down his head on his arms and grinned, unseen by everyone else.

* * *

Kurumu Kurono was suitably freaked out when the new guy suddenly grew an extra eye on the _outside_ of his jacket. It looked straight at her, blinked (or was it a wink) and then disappeared with a ripple.

She had better keep an eye on that one. She blanched. _Or was that what he was warning me against?_

But he was strong. Too strong to ignore.

She gave his unseeing back a sultry smile.

_He's going to do nicely._

* * *

AN v2: I've expanded the forum a bit to explain a bit of Prototype backstory, include some new monster-species and justify the Alex vs Youkai debate. Give it a look.

Also, Wendigo and Yee-naaldlooshi (aka - a skinwalker) are Native American in origin and the Leshy is a Slavic spirit (I've messed with them a bit in the forum. Go look at it!).

AN: The second chapter isn't quite as long, but I think it'll do.

Alex has met some of the more important characters. After some deliberation, I've decided to put Keito into the light as well. We'll see how it goes.

As for Saizou, I've made him a bit smarter, but he's still recklessly impulsive. The regeneration and wound licking will probably be explained on the forum after I've had a time to write everything down.

I'm not going to reveal what Alex and the Headmaster spoke of, but I will say that Keito _did_ volunteer after she heard what they were talking about. Make of that what you will. The conversation will probably be referenced in future chapters, so keep it in mind.

The students' reactions to Alex's actions… an orc is a threat yes, but not a great one. Alex is creepy so far, but most students have 'figured' out his species (the most frequent theories are Wendigo, Yee-naaldlooshii – a skinwalker – or a extremely powerful changeling) and they're not too worried. Then Alex manhandles a vampire, _in his human form_. His badassitude just shot through the roof.

At this point, Moka and Tsukune will probably be shunted to the background, as will Keito. Next chapter is probably going to deal with Kurumu and the first signs of Mizore, as well as Alex's attempts to adapt to the school.

Read, enjoy, review.

Also, pay the forum a visit. Link's in the first chapter.

~GrinGrin

Written: 14/12/2013

Posted: 14/12/2013

Updated: 14/12/2013


	3. And Kill Them

_Warning: Things get silly/squicky/sexy in this chapter. It all depends on your point of view.  
_

**Things Can Always Get Worse**

**And Kill Them**

There were a _lot_ of kids at this school. But they weren't so abundant that he could just snack on one whenever he felt a mite peckish. Which was a damn shame.

But there _were_ enough so that he couldn't risk pissing too many of them off at the same time. That was just asking for trouble, especially since Alex didn't know what most of them even _were_.

_I really need to go stake out the library. Would they even have something like a Monsters For Dummies book?_

Until then, Alex had spent his time familiarizing himself with the school grounds. He was surprised. The school was _much_ larger than first impressions would indicate. The Academy was more a small town than anything else.

Alex was miffed that he hadn't found any other exits to the normal world though. The place _had_ to get it's supplies from somewhere, but he had yet to find it. _Maybe by boat?_

That would explain some things, actually. He and water didn't mix well, so he certainly hadn't been looking to closely at that angle. Maybe he should look for a dock or something later?

In the mean time, he was also getting to know the students.

* * *

"Keito… are you smiling?"

Keito didn't answer her fellow enforcer. But that little smirk never left her face.

"If you're trying to scare me, it's working. Please stop?"

She didn't stop.

Jason would never understand how this girl's mind worked.

Exactly what was so funny about the new guy literally sniffing the students?

* * *

Kurumu was seriously frustrated with her lack of progress. That man, Mercer, was completely ignoring her! Well, almost completely, there was the eye-jacket incident to consider.

But other than that? Nothing.

Not a greeting, not a glance, nothing!

Men didn't just ignore her. That was not how things went.

How could she make a move without being considered a threat? They'd all seen what happened to Saizou even if it didn't bother the orc overly much. But few could afford to lose as much as a orc could.

Certainly she couldn't! An armless succubus? She'd be the laughing stock of the entire school.

No, she had to be more subtle about it. If only the infuriating bastard would actually _try_ to socialize, but _noooooo_. He was too distant, too aloof. He didn't think he needed anyone else. _And, damnit, but he was right. At least, so far._

But she had a little bit of hope left. She'd heard stories of Mercer doing something interesting.

If the rumours were true…

She could just bide her time until _he_ came to _her_.

* * *

She shared a bemused glance with her friend.

"My name? You came all the way from wherever, just to hear my name?"

A nod from the strange man. His eyes never left hers. She loved those eyes. They contradicted themselves. They were blue, but shone orange. What manner of creature had eyes like that?

With a quick wink to her friend, she leaned over and whispered her name in his ear.

"Sybelle. Hmmm… I don't think you'll tell me what exactly you are?"

Oh, he was interesting! So bold, too just ask like that. Foolish, but bold. It was a dangerous combination.

"And break the rules, monsieur Mercer? I'm not a naughty girl, non. But I'm sure you'll figure it out. After all, what's in a name?"

And with a smirk she returned to her meal. She was shocked when he answered her and she whirled about.

"Merci, belle dame. Je ne peux qu'espérer que vous n'avez pas menti. Adieu. "

* * *

_AN: Merci, belle dame. Je ne peux qu'espérer que vous n'avez pas menti. Adieu._

_Thank you, lovely lady. I can only hope that you have not lied. Farewell._

* * *

Alex smirked as Sybelle stared at him. Was it so easy to mess with everyone? He left her with a wink.

Inwardly, he was kind of pissed. The girl and her friend wore so much perfume that it was all but impossible to get her true scent. Just a quick shower and they'd be all but unrecognizable, at least in that regard.

He had met with surprisingly little progress. He was being stonewalled much more than he liked. Sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly.

The easiest way was to surprise the guys and charm the girls. Which was really kind of disappointing. He was quite sure just about everyone knew about the strange charmer who occasionally took a deep sniff of random guys' chests and could eat you with his ribs. What a story.

As he was leaving the cafeteria (no food for him here), he saw that girl again, the one with the blue hair. She was staring at him again. _Threat or love-sick?_ _There is certainly enough of both here._

That was also quite the change. Alex knew he was handsome, but normally his demeanor would chase women away faster than roaming hands. But here, in this little slice of supernatural hell?

He was probably the equivalent of a rock-star or something. He still hadn't quite gotten a feel for the school's pulse. He knew they were impressed by his nonchalance as he handled Saizou, but he was extremely surprised when he found out he was way more respected over the way he treated _Moka_.

He really needed to get an idea of how this world worked. A vampire inspired that much respect?

_Best to deal with her now, though._

So he shifted his path a so that he was headed straight for her.

* * *

Sybelle was still watching Mercer. That had been flawless French. How had he known?

That little use of the words non or monsieur? Or…

A shiver ran down her spine. _Did he already know what I was?_

It would explain his parting words. They certainly were ominous enough.

Still watching his back, Giselle was all but ignored. Her friend would understand. It wasn't everyday hat someone spoke perfect French in a school for monsters located in Japan.

She was still watching when he spoke to that Succubus. She snorted. What kind of cover disguise was that anyway? Everyone with half a brain could deduce her species. _Ah, but therein lay the problem._

A good many of the students weren't exactly in their right minds once she had her way with them. Again, not surprising. Succubi were pretty weak in all regards, except political. And th – oh, what was this?

_Is she really trying to seduce monsieur Mercer? In the cafeteria, no less?_

It really did seem like it.

* * *

Wow. Time out.

This little girl really needed to learn what was appropriate.

And grinding her chest and hips into someone she embraced with both her legs and arms while moaning in the middle of a cafeteria? Not at all appropriate.

Time for a lesson.

Quick shift of biomass, small moment of focus…

Bingo. Couple of really long tentacles, ready to go.

Mercer smirked into her hair.

* * *

Kurumu smirked into his chest.

Now that she was touching as much as she possibly could, she could start to channel Youkai into him an-

_What the hell was that._

Glancing down, she saw what was currently coiling and sliding along her legs and back. Tentacles? Really? _That was just stereotypical, I swear_.

But if he thought that would actually _do_ anything (except make him a more enticing target), he was sadly mistaken. She was a Succubus. She lived for things like this.

Still, if she didn't do something to turn the tides soon, she would probably try to take him right there and then. She didn't know how it was possible, but where those things crossed her bare skin (and that are was growing with alarming rapidity!) she felt as though a thousand little mouths were kissing and nibbling on her skin. It was maddening.

_Time to end this._

* * *

_Oh hello, tongue. You don't belong here!_

What exactly was this girl? _Was she getting turned on by all this crap?_

He was actually a little apprehensive about the answer. Some things even he wasn't twisted enough to understand.

_Ah well. In for a penny, in for a pound._

Time to up the stakes.

* * *

_Why wasn't it working!?_

She was _pouring_ Youkai into the kiss and he still was calmly letting her explore his mouth. What was he? What was his tipping point?

Finally, something changed. His tongue started moving and Kurumu took that as a sign of victory. She actually had to _work_ for this one. Nevermind that her pullover was long since gone and she could feel a rope of warm, writhing flesh between her breasts, she had _won_.

She sent a mental command for him to stop.

Nothing happened.

That wasn't possible. That shouldn't ha- oh god. Her eyes widened.

His _tongue_ was _growing_. She could feel it splitting into smaller tentacle, growing longer. Some of them she could feel wrapped _around_ her tongue and some of them were in _her_ mouth and one was almost _gagging_ her and _godgod__**god **_one of the others had finally made contact with her _nipple_ and the little mouth on the end was _exquisite_ _and she was going to_ _**burst**__ and_ _then he __**stopped**__._

Everything just stopped…

Why did he stop!?

* * *

_Okay then. __**That **__wasn't working at all._

Time for a change in strategy. He certainly had enough DNA by now.

* * *

Jason, eyes bulging, watched at what was probably some human's wetdream.

He wasn't alone in his staring. The whole cafeteria was silent except for the girl's moans. He could hear the metal railing deforming under Keito's hand.

He very carefully did _not_ think about what that could mean.

* * *

Moka was thoroughly disappointed with Mercer. She had been _so_ sure the little slut's number had come up.

But it looked like Mercer was still just a man after all. Well, in a manner of speaking. Not many men could grow a tail that split into a handful of groping _tentacles_.

Still, she was honestly surprised to feel herself disappointed in Mercer's inability to keep it in his pants. She blinked.

She looked closer. That 'tail' hadn't ripped through his pants. It looked like it grew out of it. Were those even clothes? Or they merely part of his body? She very carefully ignored the voice that Mercer was _naked_ all the damn time.

His deviancy wasn't quite such a shock anymore.

* * *

She was going to kill him. That was all there was to it.

… but who was going to help her relieve her frustration then? She gave a little whimper as the tentacles retracted. She hated herself for that moment when she grew hopeful when she suddenly felt his hand on her ass. And she was very shocked when that hand _writhed_.

She finally opened her eyes and looked into her own eyes.

Wait, what.

She wasn't hallucinating. She was looking at her _own_ face. That hand that held her aloft was about the size of her own. The new pressure against her chest made her look downwards. _Yhep, those are mine too._

What the hell.

* * *

Tsukune was either in heaven or hell, depending on how much of his memories he could suppress.

If he couldn't, he was in hell. A place where pretty girls dry-humped a tentacle monster.

If he could, he was in heaven. A place where pretty girls dry humped their lingerie-clad identical twins.

Oh no, wait. That was still hell. He couldn't exactly forget how the twin's flesh had rippled as it changed shape.

* * *

_If this doesn't stop her, I need to run._

Alex, for all of his blatant power perversion potential, was distinctly _not comfortable_ with what he was doing. This was meant to disturb and scare, horrify and chase away.

He was no one's goddamn sex-toy.

So he dropped the girl right there and then. He didn't exactly care that her butt firmly impacted the table where she was seated before her little sexual assault. But he had to keep up appearances. Nothing was allowed to phase the great Alex Mercer.

So he, very deliberately, bent over and gave a chaste kiss on the forehead.

He was quite aware that the view was probably spectacular, but then again, what did he care?

Wasn't his body on display, after all.

He was very deliberate when he chose to shift back into his 'original' form. Only three steps away from the only exit. Enough time to put use some memories to good use. He had consumed three models after all.

* * *

Kurumu's mind was carefully blank as she watched her own ass sashay away. It really was quite nice.

And that perfectly delectable ass was then ruined when her form _blurred_ and changed back into Mercer in a writhing mass of black. He turned back and winked at her.

As the cafeteria doors closed, she primly fixed her clothes. Her shirt was half undone, her pullover lay several feet away on the floor, her ribbon had come halfway undone, her skirt was askew and her panties were pulled halfway down at the back.

As she buttoned up her shirt with a very blank look, she took stock.

She had all her clothes.

Her plan had failed.

She didn't exactly give a damn.

She knew what Alex was (apart from an evil cock-teasing bitch).

Her standing as a Succubus was probably ruined.

Half the school had seen her nude (or as close to it that it didn't exactly matter).

She had found her first Chosen.

And she was very frustrated.

There was going to be screaming. Oh yes, there was going to be screaming the likes of which this school had never seen.

* * *

Keito relaxed. She should have known mercer was more than a match for a Succubus.

And what a way to make a point!

Not only did he take a succubus' kiss, he actually turned the tables and left her as the frustrated one!

She was right.

Alex was an interesting one.

* * *

Rumours spread quickly in the Academy.

By nightfall, everyone had heard of the incident. It was one of those legendary stories, second only to classics such as the Killer Thrall and the Pacifist Vampire or the Mute Siren or the Black Knight.

Almost as legendary was the story of Ginei Morioka's lament.

* * *

AN: First of all, remember that Kurumu is a SUCCUBUS. A sex-demon.

There was no way this chapter was going to come out without _some_ perversions. And come on. Alex Mercer = tentacles.

The Black Knight is an undead being dressed in armor. Yes, he gets limbs chopped off during his stay at the Academy. Yes, he's a Monty Python reference.

Also, Gin's Lament is either a) he didn't bring his camera with him or b) he wasn't in the cafeteria at that time.

'power perversion potential'? Yes, I'm a troper.

Remember, this story is classified as _**horror/humor**_.

On a more serious note.

Alex is _distinctively_ not okay with sex. His core-personality is the closest thing to asexual I can imagine (like Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory, but without the morals and childlike personality). Couple that with all the people he has absorbed? We get someone who dislikes sex and gets right-the-fuck freaked out by anything other than straight, traditional sex.

This isn't exactly a plot-point, but still, I think it needs to be clarified. Alex has consumed a fuck-ton of people, each with their own morals, likes and sexuality. He's eaten quite a few bisexuals, homosexuals, prostitutes, rapists, sexual predators, bigamists and even one male porn star (that is canon in this 'verse, by the way). Put that all together, and you get a whole ball of issues and conflicting feelings.

Kurumu is _way_ more sexual than in canon. She is not a virgin. She is not innocent (at least not in a physical sense). I'll probably expand on Succubi in the forum, but for now consider that the canon Destined One/ Mate of Fate has been replaced by a Chosen. Each Chosen is a man or monster that a Succubus can't seduce at her first attempt. I'll expand on this on the forum, as I've said.

Alex's tentacle episode was a legitimate attempt to freak Kurumu out. Alex had access to many different viewpoints, and these basically aligned in such a way that the tentacle-idea was one of the best ideas he could follow to scare her off. Alex doesn't yet know she's a succubus though. When that failed, he went for pure shock (rather than squick) and changed into her. Please note this is the first time anyone in the setting as seen Alex change his entire body into a new form.

We also get a little slice of Tsukune, where he again realises he's not in the normal world anymore. Moka and Keito also express some hidden feelings (but, please note, these are not _necessarily_ romantic in origin).

I've also introduced three new characters.

Jason is a PSC-enforcer and Keito's preferred partner. He's a nice guy, unless he's in monster form. At this point, all I know is that he's Caucasian. It gives me some wiggle room when deciding his monster form.

Sybelle is a monster from French mythology, namely a mulesine. It's something like a mermaid. Her name means 'prophetess' and she frequently uses it to allow others to draw the wrong conclusion about her species.

Her friend, Giselle is also a monster from European descent, but I've yet to confirm anything else.

Youkai Academy (in this 'verse) is a world-renowned school, and so they get monsters from all over. Expect a number of OC's and new monsters.

Alex knows French? He ate someone. Seriously, that's just going to be a running gag in my AN's from now one.

Also, any and all translations will be put as close to the original as possible. I've never liked a fic where all the translation's are at the bottom, and you're forced to scroll _all the way down_ to read it and then need to search for your place.

The title? I lied.

Kurumu's suspicions of Alex's nature will be revealed next chapter. But have a cookie if you figure it out. I recommend Oreos.

Hmmmmm... Oreos.

**And guys? If you leave me a review with a question, give me some way to contact you! I can't answer everything in AN's (they are too long as they are already) and I _like_ answering questions because it helps me locate plot holes.**

Read, enjoy and review.

Written: 15/12/2013

Posted: 15/12/2013


	4. You Are What You Eat

_I do not own either Prototype or Rosario + Vampire._

**Things Can Always Get Worse**

**You Are What You Eat**

"Keito."

She saw Jason jerk sideways. How was Mercer so damn quiet? Not a lot of people could sneak up on him.

"Yes, Mercer?"

"The Headmaster said I should ask you if I have any questions."

Keito blinked. She didn't remember that… but she _was_ wiped afterwards, so it was possible. Not like Mercer had any reason to lie, right? And that was something the headmaster would do.

"This might not be the best place."

Yes indeed, this would really not be the best place. The central courtyard was to exposed. Too many nooks and crannies where people could hide, too many walls which could cause whispers to echo and too many eyes could be watching from the surrounding buildings.

Mercer nodded slowly. What was he thinki-

* * *

_GOD DAMN!_

What just happened?

First Mercer scared the shit out of them. Then he talked to Keito for a bit. Then he lunged and leapt and both he and Keito were gone.

_Hoooooleeee Shit. Was that what people meant when they said things were just a blur?_

Jason knelt to inspect the ground. He whistled. There was a fine web of cracks in a radial pattern. Damn. That wasn't exactly the flimsiest stone.

He looked upwards. He couldn't see them.

_Which wasn't right. I should be able to see them. No-one can jump high enough to break through the fucking clouds!_

… _unless Mercer could fly as well?_

What the fuck was he?

* * *

Mercer wouldn't admit it, but he was impressed.

The girl didn't scream. It was one thing to be stoic when an arm was unexpectedly shoved into your face, but when you suddenly went barrelling upwards fast enough to feel the blood pool in your toes?

_Damn. I think I could get to tolerate this one._

The fact that she waited till they hit the ground to attack him also spoke volumes about her survival instinct. Wouldn't do her much good if he couldn't break her fall.

"Huh. Spiderwoman. Can't say I expected that."

And really, how could he? He'd fought some pretty strange things, but a girl that suddenly sprouted a couple of spider legs from her chest? Nope. Thank you for playing.

She was deathly quiet. Her face was impassive, but he could see the way her eyes were scanning over his form and the slight tenseness in her body. _Speaking of which…_

"You might wanna cover up, you know? That makes too tempting a target."

_And there it goes again. That sounded waaaaay less perverse in his head. _

Alex guiltily shoved his hands into what appeared to pockets in his ordinary jeans.

* * *

Keito didn't know I she should be terrified, angry, humiliated or confused.

He just lept from the central courtyard, over most of the school and landed on the farthest side of the pool. Could the fucking man fly?

And know he was standing there, hands in his pockets and sneer on his face. At least he wasn't ogling her. But did that mean anything?

_He has enough experience with women that it doesn't bother him, he was actually attempting to protect her modesty or he wasn't attracted… at all._

Keito knew she was attractive. She didn't place to much emphasis on it, but she knew she was. The fact that Mercer totally ignored her was actually significant. It gave her insight into his past or personality or true form.

_He can shapeshift. We all saw that. Shit. What if __**he **__wasn't even a __**he**__?_

It would be one hell of a way to mess with people, that's for sure. How could she be sure?

She blinked and withdrew her arms. _Maybe…_

"Mercer, are you male or female?"

She could see the confused expression on his face. She could also see when he decided on something because his eyes suddenly glowed a bit brighter. He moved towards her, slowly but with complete confidence.

She had to fight the urge to simply abandon her human form. That wasn't how humans walked. That was how predators stalked. But she had been at his mercy and he had done nothing. It would be illogical to attempt something now.

She didn't flinch from the slight sting she felt on her head. _What did he just do?_

She saw him lifting his hand up. There, between his thumb and index finger was a single strand of her hair. She watched as he carefully lowered that hair into his other hand. He made a fist and opened it again. The hair was gone.

She looked at his face, about to ask what the point of that was, when it _flowed_.

It looked like it broke up into thousands of tiny, dark worms. Keito was unpleasantly reminded o the cafeteria-incident. The worms twitched and writhed before suddenly _snapping_ into place. The things changed colour, turned purple and white and cream and a thousand little shades between and around them. And suddenly she was looking at her own face, surrounded by Mercer's strange hood.

…That didn't actually answer a lot of questions…

All she had actually learned is that he seemed to need a hair to shift. She couldn't think of any shapeshifter with that ability off the top of her head. But then again, she'd also never heard of one who had enough strength to jump across half the school.

"What are you?"

The question slipped past her mouth. That question had no doubt been asked thousands of times since he had first appeared.

* * *

Tamao Ichinose was in luck.

She had gone to the swimming pool to work up her appetite before her bi-weekly feeding when fang-face came falling out of the sky, carried by what most considered to be the strangest monster in the damn school.

And know he could apparently fly too. Life just wasn't fair.

But that didn't matter. She was in the prime spot to be able to eavesdrop on their entire conversation. It was so simple to hide just within the cover the pool-sides gave her.

"What are you?"

As much as she hated the spider-bitch, at this point Tamao would gladly have hugged her. Perfect question. She was confused when Keito answered herself.

"Aren't we all what we eat?"

_What kind of answer is that, even if it was a rhetorical question? Why didn't he answer?_

Deciding to take a chance, Tamao peeked over the rim of the pool. Just in time to see Keito's face explode into thousands of strands and change and move and flow into the vaguely handsome face of Saizou. _What-_

_Shit._

They had to have heard her little exclamation of surprise.

"Well, well, well… looks like we got ourselves a little spy."

_Shit._

* * *

Keito watched as Saizou (_Mercer!_) walked over to the edge of the pool. She saw him crouch on his haunches and she saw him reaching downwards and then suddenly he was grabbed and dragged into the pool.

…

_Not good, not good, not good!_

If someone got killed under her watch she could kiss her power goodbye, fuck, she could kiss her ass goodbye, they would take everything, even that and ohcrap.

Okay. Seriously. She needed to have a fucking _talk_ with that enigmatic son-of-a-bitch.

It was one thing to change forms or eat orc flesh or resist succubi or jump half a mile or just be a general pain in the ass…

But causing an _entire pool to turn black?_

That was not something she had ever seen or even heard about.

The suddenly black surface of the pool churned with movement. Waves reached and broke over the edge of the pool. There was a slight groaning noise as some of the paving around the pool suddenly cracked. And then the surface broke and a form came flying through the air and smashed directly into her.

She threw that body right of her. _What the hell Mercer, no need to try to scar-_

_That's not Mercer._

Tamao Ichinose lay next to Keito, naked as the day she was born, convulsing in her mermaid form. She looked to be crying and laughing at the same time as babbling nonsense and Keito could only make out the occasional word.

"_-so much-"_

"_-power-"_

"_-tasty-"_

"_-more-"_

"_-too much-"_

"_-not natural!"_

That last one caught her attention. If a monster said something was not natural, you shut right the fuck up and paid attention.

Keito whirled about just in time to see the entire surface of the pool jolt upwards. That strange black water (_not water look closer little tendrils Mercer_) rose up and formed little ropes that seemed to pull the rest of the heaving mass out of the water. She could see that the water next to the other side was losing that black sheen. It was like watching an oil-spill in reverse.

She kept watching as the black mass grew larger and larger; spreading around both her and Tamao; encircling them. The mass finally left the pool entirely.

It lay there, occasionally quivering, before it started to flow again.

Keito watched as a spot in front of her seem to _thicken_, to grow into a lump. The mass broke into two tendrils and she could see how that black matter rippled upwards, grouping together to form a rudimentary body and arms and finally a head.

Mercer looked at them, ankle deep in that disgusting gunk.

* * *

Alex was done playing nice.

He had been surprised way too much and gone through way too strange experiences in these last couple of days to be friendly-I'mjustgoingtomaimyou-Mercer.

Fuck that.

As he coiled his biomass around the two girls who _were going to answer some fucking questions_, he realized he had instinctively switched into his real 'default' form.

Alex J. Mercer, student at Youkai Academy, was gone.

In his place stood Alex J. Mercer; _Zeus, the Maw of Manhattan, the Defiler, the first honest-to-god __**manmade **__**monster**__._

It really was time that this little slice of madness learned who was the Alpha Predator now.

_It may be hell, it may even be filled with demons, but these punks are about to learn who was the mother-fucking Devil._

* * *

Keito had seen a lot of things in her life.

She'd seen a three way battle between vampires.

She'd seen a troll be ripped apart by a pack of werewolves.

She'd seen men die to prove themselves to woman.

She'd seen how cruel Berserker's could truly be.

She'd even seen the day the headmaster finally lost his temper with a troublesome student.

She'd never felt quite so insignificant before.

He didn't look a lot different from what she thought was his real form. He was a little taller now, and a bit broader, his face had a bit of stubble and his features were narrower. Small differences, all in all.

So why had she just recited a little prayer.

Maybe because his outline bled out into that strange coating around them?

Maybe because his eyes suddenly blazed?

Maybe because his voice had suddenly taken on a strange echo?

"You asked me what I was. I am what I eat. And right now, I want to be someone who knows what the fuck is going on in my life."

She could see the way the blackness around her drew closer, tendrils extending and retracting, clawing its way nearer and nearer.

She was going to die.

She was going to die.

She was going to die.

And then a blur smashed into Mercer's head.

* * *

Moka had seen that little figure that sailed through the air and so she had followed it. She had a healthy sense of curiosity after all.

"Tsukune-kuuuuuun… let's go over there!"

And so she had made her way over to the pool.

And Tsukune, lovable gullible Tsukune, had followed. He would make a good thrall. Oh, she had her doubts when she first met him, but now she could see the potential that lurked in that small frame. _And he's already so good at following orders!_

She just needed him to ask her to help him grow strong. She had thrown out some hints, but he had yet to act on them. Maybe he didn't notice? She would have to get a bit more blatant, if that was the case.

But not yet. Not quite.

She'd first get to know him, his dreams and fears, his personality and ideals. She'd get to know him better than he knew himself. Then she'd strip away the weak parts, make him stronger, temper him in blood.

It was, after all, the proper way to do things.

* * *

If she survived, she was going to kiss that shaggy bastard.

Of all the people in the whole school, why did it have to be Ginei Morioka?

* * *

AN: _The plot thickens!_

Nah, just kidding. I'm just too lazy to finish it as it stands now (read: lost interest).

Anyway… let's start by hammering out a couple of things.

Alex is batshit insane. Period. I'm really surprised he held off of just munching someone until now.

If that sentence sounds strange (as I am the author and I decide what happens), let me just say that I intended to have this chapter end with Kurumu, Tamao, Alex and Keito chowing down on the cattle-humans mentioned a while back. Instead, my muse rebelled and I ended up here.

Alex is a man of science dropped into a world that blatantly skull-fucks everything he thinks he knows about the world. He's batshit (as mentioned above) so it was just a matter of time. Which has run out right about now.

As for why I used Gin instead of Moka, I really liked the idea of Gin being seduced by Tamao. Hence, he's fighting to protect her. Using Moka for every fight is also kind of cheap *shrugs*.

Besides Gin is a better fit for Alex's fight. Moka would just smoosh him around and he'd just reform and keep on attacking till he hits her and then he'll NOM her. Gin is a bit too fast for him to try that.

Also, if Alex seems a bit(!) melodramatic, it's because he's used to using psychological warfare on the Army and Blackwatch. A man who's pissing himself isn't about to suddenly realize just how close you are to dying.

Also, Tamao's rambling? Mermaids can see spiritual energy in their natural forms. As the forum said, Alex has a lot. Like, _a lot_. I'd use the word inconceivable, but it wouldn't quite it. She tried to drain him. That's what set Alex off.

Water doesn't hurt either Alex or Moka, by the way. Alex was just trying to make damn sure he got any and all threats in the pool when he went all Hive-like.

Tamao is the mermaid captain of the swim team, if anyone forgot.

Moka is really evil and manipulative. She's a vampire. It comes with the fangs.

Kurumu and Mizore are still around (and busy).

Greene is the one who called Alex the 'Defiler', as she felt he was fucking around with her plan and strains. Yes **strains**, as in plural. This is not your canon!Outbreak.

Also Berserkers (as in Norse legends) are also monsters. Think less mini-Hulks and more Cú Chulainn and his Warp-Spasm.

I hate to leave it on a cliffhanger, but I got a couple of other things to do as well. So I figured I'd give you this chapter instead of holding off till I had time to get it all over with. I'm also not quite happy with this chapter, but meh. Can always come back and edit the hell out of it.

Read, review and enjoy.

~GrinGrin

Written: 17/12/2013

Updated: 17/12/2013


	5. Pursuit

_I do not own either Prototype or Rosario + Vampire._

**Things Can Always Get Worse**

**Pursuit**

If there was one thing Tsukune was never going to forget, it was his first glimpse of the monster that Mercer really was.

He had followed Moka. How could he not?

He had followed her to the pool. It was not an unpleasant journey. Hell, it was kinda soothing. The path they followed was clean and free of other people, so Tsukune wasn't really worried that someone would attempt to take a bite out of him.

That sense of relaxation had lasted just as long as it took him to get a good look at the pool.

Or, if he were to be honest, the absolute insanity that was happening just a couple of meters away from the pool.

He could see two girls, one held in the arms of another, in the middle of a writhing circle of black, while a blur smashed into a dark figure repeatedly.

On closer inspection, he could actually make out a couple of details.

The girl in the middle of the circle was actually the strange purple-haired girl who had approached Mercer that first day. In her arms were a mermaid. Tsukune, at this point, had stopped seeing anything as odd and so he just accepted it.

The circle of shadow around them was actually moving. Twitching and writhing and almost leaping upwards each time the blur neared. It was extremely disorientating.

And the target of the blur, which he could still not completely make out, was one Alex Mercer. Or, at least, someone that looked a lot like him. Even if half of his face seemed to be missing and the shadow-ring was busy eating him.

Seeing as he was mostly preoccupied with the blur, Tsukune tried to focus on it. Apart from a vague impression of shaggy hair and sharp claws, he was at a loss.

Not that it mattered. He was human. Whatever… incident he stumbled upon had no place for him.

But he couldn't just leave… Moka was there.

Kind, gentle, absolutely terrifying Moka.

Moka, who had promised to protect him.

Moka, who offered to help him become strong.

Could he really leave her?

…

The sad fact of the matter was that he was seriously considering the question when the blur suddenly changed its direction. Instead of heading to Mercer (again), it veered into the middle of the writhing mass of darkness.

It was a werewolf. Of course it was.

* * *

_Okay, fuck the kiss. I'm going to neuter the bastard._

She had really (foolishly, in her own mind) hoped Ginei would attempt to save them both. But no, why would he? She was PSC. Why should she expect anything from him?

Still, she would admit she panicked. He had stolen Tamao from where she had been lying, halfway in her lap, given her a pitying glance and leapt away.

He had left her to die.

Fuck it. If she was going to die, she was going out on her own terms. Not like a coward.

Shedding her human guise completely, she turned and faced Mercer.

She didn't have much hope of surviving, since she was currently watching his head reform after being neatly bisected, but she was going to fight to her last.

"What are you waiting for, Mercer?!"

He seemed to finally realize she was still there.

"Good question."

Gods damn it… his smirk was back. It wasn't nearly as friendly as it always looked though. Too many teeth for that. She could hear something slithering and she belatedly realized she was surrounded by that strange ichor.

Looking around in horror, she could see the mass heaving. It formed into more of those black, wriggling heaps, like the one Mercer had stepped out of. She counted eight of those things.

There was no way she going to be able to do _anything_ to eight creatures like Mercer.

Her life was over. That was all there was to it.

* * *

_What an interesting development._

Those eight, recently birthed, creatures threw themselves past the kneeling jorogumo and sped after Gin. She had only the vaguest impression of shifting limbs and twisting postures before they loped out of sight.

This was interesting. Nowhere had she ever heard mention of a creature that could so readily propagate itself. No book, no story, no rumor, no legend.

It was something truly unheard of.

And if there was one thing a Yuki-onna couldn't resist, it was something new.

* * *

_(From the notebook of Mizore Shirayuki)_

_Eye-witness accounts would vary widely, but some aspects were considered to be completely true._

_The most significant of these aspects were that these… homunculi were actually able to gain ground on Ginei. Outrunning a werewolf was a feat few monsters could manage, and few manage quite as effectively as Alex Mercer did._

_The eight bodies that tracked Ginei worked together like a pack of wolves, if you'd pardon the turn of phrase. Each would attempt to cut off as many avenues of retreat as possible, forcing Ginei into following the path the homunculi had chosen. Repeated usage of this tactic, together with their incredible speed and coordination, led to them finally cornering Ginei in the school auditorium._

_Eyewitness reports vary wildly (as can be expected, considering Mercer's shapeshifting abilities), but there are certain forms that multiple witnesses have confirmed._

_One of these forms was vaguely centaur-shaped, consisting of Mercer's torso attached to what appears to be (as a witness reports) the neck of a hairless, red gorilla with claws._

_Another form was vaguely serpentine, but would split into smaller aspects as it neared Ginei to more effectively corral him._

_Yet another form, notable for its tendency to travel on the ceiling of the hallways the chase led through, was considered to be the 'world's scariest caterpillar' with multiple clawed fingers serving as legs. Different accounts seem to override the description as being more in line with a millipede._

_The other five forms are reported inconsistently and must be considered due to Mercer's shapeshifting. In fact, it is debatable whether or not the confirmed forms are the same forms throughout the chase and not different instances changing to suit their various immediate needs._

_Other interesting notes are that all forms retained Mercer's blue eyes and all seemed to follow some overarching directive. Also of note is the fact that none of the forms had taken on winged shapes. This leads me to believe that, for all his varied forms and abilities, Mercer is not (yet?) able to fly freely._

* * *

"No then. Nowhere left to run."

That was fucking disturbing. All eight of the things spoke at once, in exactly the same tone of voice. Some of those things didn't even have mouths, for god's sake! How did that even work?

Ginei Morioka was in trouble. Really, really big trouble. It probably wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was up to his ears.

But hell if he was going to let him kill Tamao. She was _his_ and he wasn't letting her go without a fight.

Still, things looked pretty damn bleak. All of them kept up with him during the chase, even if took them a while to corner him. All of them were able to shapeshift, 'cause all of them suddenly wavered before returning to look like Mercer.

Which was fucking disturbing. It bore repeating.

Hopefully, these things' reaction times were just as slow as the original(?). It was a shame it wasn't quite full-moon yet. That would have helped considerably, but wishes and beggars and all that.

He was just going to have to suck it up, fight and run at the first opportunity. It was the only way. He wasn't keen on running, but neither was he stupid. Sometimes, you had to do some unpleasant things to survive.

"Hey, werewolf-kid. How 'bout a deal? We take your little girlfriend and we let you go. No questions asked, no harm done. We just need a mind to pick for some ideas."

Again. Immeasurably creepy. Each word was spoken by a different Mercer. The transition was so smooth and fluent that, if he should close his eyes (_hah! Not likely_), he had no doubt he would think he was talking to one person.

But there was no way he was going to give her up. Not if there was still a chance of getting away.

Maybe they saw something in the way he stood, or the way his face twitched, or maybe they read his mind, but Ginei was sure they _knew_ what he was thinking. He was about to rush for an exit, valor be damned, when the eight of them melted.

Well, perhaps not _melted_, per se. But degenerated into the same sludge from which they were formed? Oh yeah.

Ginei was about to make a break for it when the masses twitched. Never good.

He thanked his lucky stars that he had anticipated _something_, otherwise he would be dead, of that he had no doubt.

Each of the twitching lumps of matter exploded into a network of tentacles. They ripped through the air like gunshots, and it was only due to his natural speed that Ginei avoided being impaled. As it was, the tentacles tore into the masonry that made the walls of the auditorium.

The tentacles then seemed to split and _flow_ towards the nearest flat surface. They quickly formed small lumps, so like the original eight, before these too, exploded into tiny tendrils.

Somehow, these tendrils retained the same speed that the bigger tentacles had, and due to their greater number and smaller size, Ginei was unable to dodge all of them.

He was caught. A fly in some demented spider's web. Even worse, so was Tamao. He, at least, could attempt to fight back, but the unconscious girl was defenseless.

"Now then… what to do with you two?"

* * *

AN: Okay, shorter chapter again.

But at least I'm back.

This chapter is mainly here to show the different ways this version of Alex is capable of fighting (clones, subsequent devastators and prolonged chases ending where he wants them to).

Also, the red hairless gorilla thing is a hunter. Imagine a centaur where you replace the horse-body with a hunter's and stick Alex from the waist up on top of that… yeah.

Anyway, I've finally included Mizore. In this world, yuki-onna are always looking for new and curious things, so that's the angle she has on Mercer.

Other than that, this chapter doesn't say or do too much.

**BUT…**

It does give me an interesting opportunity. At this stage, we seemingly have Keito, Gin and Tamao at Alex's mercy. I think I'm going to make a poll in the TCABW-forums, regarding who actually gets absorbed. Head over and take a look, yeah?

www!fanfiction!net/forum/Things-Can-Always-Be-Worse/145666/

Read, enjoy, vote and review

~GrinGrin

PS- two things…

Firstly, I'm killing the poll regarding my ANs by tomorrow at the latest. Not that it matters a lot for TCABW, since I mainly have the forum for that, but still.

Secondly, I've been mucking about in my profile page. I've put requests, general info, milestones or targets and generally cleaned it up a bit. Pay it a visit and see if it can either help you or me, yeah?

Written: 07/01/2014

Posted: 07/01/2014


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